Blog Tour & Review -- An Ex For Christmas by Lauren Layne

She’s making a
list—and checking it twice. But is there a nice guy among all her naughty exes?
The New York Times bestselling author of Blurred Lines returns with a
charming friends-to-lovers rom-com.

When a psychic tells spunky, superstitious Kelly Byrne that she’s already met
her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before
Christmas. Kelly immediately writes up an “Ex List” and starts contacting old
boyfriends to figure out which one is the one. When her college sweetheart
rolls into town, Kelly convinces herself that they’re meant to be. The trouble
is, sparks are flying with someone she’s never given a chance: her best friend,
Mark.

Mark Blakely has watched the guys on Kelly’s list break her heart, and he’s not
looking forward to watching them do it all over again. Mark’s always been there
for her, but the timing’s never worked out for their relationship to be
something more. Now, just as Mark is ready to move on, the sexual tension
between them is suddenly off the charts. With Christmas morning around the
corner, he just hopes Kelly will wake up and realize that everything she wants
has been right in front of her all along.

NOW AVAILABLE!

As
I walk, I check the weather app on my phone, delighted to see that while it’s
nothing but rain today, there’s a chance of a snow shower tomorrow. Nothing
says Christmas break like snow.

I
just miss my train, but there’s a decent-ish voice singing “White Christmas”
nearby, and the platform’s not too crowded, so waiting’s not as bad as it could
be.

My
eye catches on a middle-aged woman who’s set up camp under one of the
stairwells. It’s not unusual to see all manner of people under the streets of
New York, although this one’s better dressed than most. She’s wearing a blousy
red shirt, jeans, and ankle boots, and is sitting cross-legged on a plaid
blanket. She’s got twigs of what seem to be fake roses in her hair.

None
of that’s the weird part.

What’s
weird is that she’s watching me. Intently.

We
make awkward eye contact, and I give a quick smile before turning my attention
back to my phone.

But
I still feel her eyes on me.

Not
in an unfriendly way, not in the way that makes me mentally catalog whether or
not I saw any cops on my way down here who would hear me if I scream. She
doesn’t seem eager to push me onto the train tracks either, and since that’s
every New Yorker’s secret fear, that’s a plus.

Still,
the focus is unsettling. I glance up again, and her eyes lock on mine. Her dark
gaze is clear and focused, and I can’t decide if that’s more or less disturbing
than if she seemed sort of hazy.

Then
she smiles right at me. “Kelly.”

I
get immediate goosebumps for reasons that
have nothing to do with the winter weather. She knows my name.

“Come.”
She beckons. “Come. I see.”

Now
you’re thinking, Hell, no. Run!

I
should be thinking the same, and on some level, I am, but . . .

There
are a couple dozen people around. None are paying attention to me, but it’s not
like I’m all alone in a dark alley.

And
look, we’ve already established that I believe in fate expressing itself
through a Magic 8 ball and horoscopes, and though I haven’t mentioned it yet, I
totally avoid black cats, the number thirteen, and walking under ladders.

I
also believe that there’s such a thing as sight. I know, because my
grandma had it.

Grandma
Shirley was one of those delightfully batty old ladies that most people
dismissed as quirky, but nobody can deny that she seemed to know stuff. She
knew when I’d win my soccer game, and by how many points. She knew when her
cat’s litter of kittens would be born, down to the minute. Once she’d even
predicted an earthquake, even though they’re really rare in New York.

She’d
passed away when I was in eleventh grade (she’d predicted the when and how of
that too), and though I didn’t inherit her talents, I’ve never stopped
believing that some people see and know things that they shouldn’t. I call it
the Sight.

But
I’m not hearing anything other than generic lucky guesses from this lady.

“Sure,”
I say, already starting to back away.

She
holds up a hand. “The one you seek? Your forever guy, the love of your life . .
.”

I
freeze, because her phrasing echoes my
thoughts almost exactly. A coincidence? Maybe. I don’t move away just yet,
willing to hear her out.

She
smiles again. “You’ve already met him.”

I
blink. “What? I think you may want to recheck that crystal ball. I’m single.”

Her
smile merely grows. “I didn’t say you weren’t single. I said you’d already met
him. You just let him go. He’ll come back to you before Christmas.”

Whoa
whoa whoa. This is . . .

Huh.

“You’re
telling me that the love of my life is one of my exes?”

She
extends both of her palms as though to say, There you have it!

I
stifle a little surge of disappointment. Clearly
she hasn’t met
my exes. There are some decent ones in the mix, but mostly they’re duds, and
none of them make my heart beat faster. Well, maybe—

Nope.
No. Do not go there.

Thankfully,
I feel the rumble of an oncoming train, and a glance over my shoulder tells me
my ride outta here is approaching.

“Thanks
very much,” I say with a strained smile. “Merry Christmas.”

“Happy
holidays,” she says with a nod, standing and gathering up her blanket. Apparently she’s taken a cue from Madison
Meyers and is sticking close to the PC route. Fair enough.

I
lift a hand in a wave and move toward the train, but her next words give me a
fresh wave of new goosebumps.

“Tell
your parents happy anniversary. Thirty’s
going to be a magical year for them.”

I
whip my head around. “How did you—”

The
woman is gone.

Like
vanished
gone.

Leaving
me to wonder . . .

If
a woman I’d never met was right about my parents’ anniversary, was she also right about other stuff?

Have
I already met my one true love?

"Have I already met my one true love?"

Do you like the holidays?

Do you love friends to lovers romance?

Do you love second chance?

Do you love when two characters have such strong chemistry that their tension is off the charts and you can't wait for that intense moment of surrender?!

THEN READ THIS BOOK!

OH MY GEE!!

I am a huge Lauren Layne fan, and this book did not disappoint me one bit!

Kelly is on a mission to find her true love.

Knowing she has already met him leads her on a path to talk to all her ex's to find if chemistry is still there.

Who doesn't like a little mistletoe?!

But what happens if that true love has been there all along?

Mark and Kelly have been best friends for years. But just that...friends.

When they are left alone one Christmas, will the season bring them together in ways they never imagined?

Sometimes predictions and Magic 8 Balls don't always have the right answers...

"I can't be falling for my best friend...can I?"

With snow falling and feelings rising, it's a week of unforgettable moments.

There's humor in every "ex" meeting and even better banter between Mark and Kelly.

They had me laughing and swooning comstantly!

In true Lauren Layne form, you get comedy and fun, but also heart and heat.

These two have passion that burns through the pages, but also so much heart that my own heart was racing in anticpation.

I could have read another whole book about these two!

I adored them!

And can I say that Mark is so dang swoonworthy?! Oh me!

Kelly is a very lucky girl;)

Another great book from Ms. Layne!

"I've been in love with you since the day I met you. I loved you like a boy loves a girl back then, when you were the only one there for me. And now I love you like a man loves a woman, because you're the only one I want. For always."

Lauren
Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies.
She lives in New York City with her husband.

A former
e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York
City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in
2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she's
written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAY, New York
Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.